“Come and Give It” August 16 – September 3, 2018

Austin, TX – April 25, 2018 – The Central Texas Food Bank has announced that their new annual fundraising event, Austin Restaurant Weeks (ARW), will be held August 16 through September 3, with Tito’s Handmade Vodka as the presenting sponsor.

Led by the Food Bank and organized by a committee of community and culinary leaders, the two-week-long dining attraction will feature specially-priced meals and drinks from a unique array of Austin area restaurants and bars, including world class farm-to-table options and traditional local favorites. As the largest hunger relief organization serving Central Texas, the Food Bank plans to turn this inaugural Austin Restaurant Weeks into an event that can help provide thousands of meals each year to those in need.

“Central Texas Food Bank has been a leader in the fight against hunger for nearly 35 years,” said Amy Lukken, Chief Joyologist at Tito’s. “We’re honored to partner on Austin Restaurant Weeks and help fight hunger in our community.”

During Austin Restaurant Weeks, participating establishments will offer prix fixe meals with a portion of the cost of each meal earmarked for the Food Bank. Restaurant patrons won’t be directly solicited for donations.

It’ll be a delicious and easy way to help fight hunger, while enjoying some of the best restaurants our food-centric city has to offer. And since Austin Restaurant Weeks is planned entirely by Food Bank staff and volunteers, 100% of the contribution from each meal or beverage goes directly to fighting hunger in Central Texas, where a staggering 1 in 6 residents are food insecure.

“Participating in Austin Restaurant Weeks is an important way to help the Central Texas Food Bank with the services it provides for almost 50,000 people each week,” said Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside Projects, which includes Austin restaurants Parkside, Bullfight, Olive & June and Backspace. Cirkiel, who also served a key role on the ARW planning committee, noted that “my family has been here since the 1940s, so I feel it’s important to do what we can, as a part of the Austin food community, to do all we can to help.”

Participating restaurants will be offering one or more of the following options during the event:

A 2-3 course lunch priced at $25,

A 3-4 course dinner priced at either $35 or $45,

Additionally, some establishments may offer an $8 cocktail option or $6 beer option.

“Supporting our community extends beyond our home state. We live and work in each of the areas we sell our beer in and it is extremely important to all of us, whether in Michigan, Texas or elsewhere, to give back where we can. Partnering with the Central Texas Food Bank is an incredible honor and we hope we can all help make a difference in Central Texas,” said Laura Bell, CEO of Bell’s Brewery, the official beer sponsor of Austin Restaurant Weeks.

Having lunch, dinner and drink options will give diners many opportunities to explore restaurants and culinary options, while supporting the Food Bank in the fight against hunger.

Menus for the participating restaurants, searchable by food type, location and other variables can be found at AustinRestaurantWeeks.org, with more being added every day. OpenTable® is the exclusive restaurant reservation partner for Austin Restaurant Weeks, so diners will be able to make reservations on the ARW website with those restaurants that use OpenTable or be linked out to whatever method the restaurant uses.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK

The mission of Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank provides food and grocery products through a network of about 300 Partner Agencies and nutrition programs, serving nearly 46,000 people every week. Headquartered in Austin, the Food Bank serves 21 counties in Central Texas, an area about twice the size of Massachusetts. For more information on the Food Bank and its programs, visit centraltexasfoodbank.org.

ABOUT TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA

Tito’s Handmade Vodka is America’s Original Craft Vodka. In 1997, Bert “Tito” Beveridge, now a 50-something geophysicist, obtained the first legal permit to distill in Texas and created Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito distills his corn-based vodka using old-fashioned pot stills and the vodka is naturally Gluten-Free. Tito’s Handmade Vodka has won the prestigious Double Gold Unanimous Judge’s Choice at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, besting 72 of the world’s premier vodka brands. Tito’s continues to receive critical acclaim for its impeccably pure taste, affordability and brand growth. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is distilled and bottled by Fifth Generation Inc. in Austin, Texas, and is available in Liter, 1.75L, 750ml, 375ml, 200ml and 50ml sizes. For more information, visit www.titosvodka.com.